Nandana Indananda, a partner in Tilleke & Gibbins’ intellectual property group, was interviewed by the Bangkok Post newspaper, and his views were included in an online article named “Let the Music Play: Copyright Laws that Prevent the Playing of Songs in Public Are Increasingly Stifling.” The article discusses copyright infringement according to Thai law, and in particular, the legality of playing music in commercial premises such as restaurants.
Commenting on the law in general, Nandana said, “Thailand’s law regarding this matter is admittedly very convoluted and open to interpretation.” In Thailand, he continued, “the rights to reproduction and broadcasting are considered to belong to the music label, while the rights to performing the song as well as its lyrics and music belong to the musician. This creates a problem, as it’s often unclear who holds the rights to what.” Nandana went on to comment about the legality of several different scenarios, such as covering or remixing musicians as well as scenarios involving the radio.
If you would like to read the full article, please visit the Bangkok Post website or download the PDF below.